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Players who keep their cult members happy and manage to slay the strongest enemies skulking in the dungeons ofCult of the Lambwill be rewarded withStone Tabletpieces. After collecting three, the Lamb can head to the Temple and preach to their masses in order to enact Doctrines. Here, players will have the choice between two Doctrines, each time they level up a specific subset of their Doctrine Wheel, with multiple categories that affect different aspects of the cult’s community values and policies.
There are 28 total choices thatCult of the Lambplayers will have to make concerning doctrines as they make their way through their adventure. To better help games who are struggling to make decisions, or to give a sneak peek at which Doctrines are unlocked at which stage, the following list includes a look at all the possible Doctrines and what they do, as well as some advice on what the “best” choice is for each tier.
Updated on July 14, 2025, by Ashely Claudino:Sins of the Flesh was one of the biggest free updates for Cult of the Lamb, and it introduced players to the concept of Sins, which makes a lot of sense with the game’s theme. Sin became quite important to Cult of the Lamb’s gameplay when it was added, and naturally, players can now choose Sin-related Doctrines. There are eight Doctrines in total, and gamers have to choose four.
Afterlife Doctrines in Cult of the Lamb
The following Doctrines affect how a player’s cult members perceive Death and Dying and also provide some unique bonuses for aging cult members. Gamers can usually skip this tree at the start to focus on other aspects of their cult, as they likely won’t have an abundance of cult members kicking the bucket, as long as they’re taken care of. Here’s a look at what choices to expect at each tier:
Belief in Afterlife
+20 Faith whenever a Cult member is sacrificed.
Decrease to -5 Faith when a follower perishes instead of -20
Choice Advice:Without the appropriate upgrade to decrease Ritual Cooldowns, players will likely find some followers dying of old age without the possibility of being sacrificed. As players progress and gain more followers, they will notice groups of them reaching Old Age at the same time. Because of this, it can be a better option to select Choice Two: Belief in Afterlife Trait, as it’s very likely that players will end up with multiple cultists dying naturally from Old Age, so long as they’re taken care of.
Funeral
Unlock a Ritual that allows you to revive dead Followers.
Perform a Funeral on a recently deceased Follower for +20 Faith.
Choice Advice: Each time players successfully level up their adoration from a particular Follower, that cultist will gain additional positive traits that make them a better follower overall. Although the Ritual of Resurrection has a long cooldown, it’s worth it to be able to bring back a particularly useful cultist, and they will be returned to a young age, giving them a new lease on life.
Good Die Young
Followers gain +5 Faith for every Elderly Follower around.
+10 Faith if an Elderly Follower is used for sacrifice/murder/cannibalism, but lose -5 if they die naturally.
Choice Advice: When players amass enough followers, they can be sure they’ll begin to see more and more Elderly cultists pop up. As it’s possible (and likely) that there will be groups that reach this senior status at the same time, it’s much better to provide a small Faith bonus by having them around. The unpredictability with which Elderly Followers can perish can cause players to lose a large amount of Faith if they miss a sacrifice.
Return to the Earth
Grieve the Fallen
Unlock the Natural Burial building, which turns corpses into Fertilizer.
Unlock the Grave Building, which produces +2 Faith when Followers grieve at it.
Choice Advice: The Grave Building is situational, providing a small bump for players who are struggling with Faith production, but the Natural Burial Building is a better choice economically. As the cult grows, and players begin to create larger automated farms, they will need steady access to Fertilizer. It’s also a great way to prevent staking up graves as more and more cultists meet their demise.
Work And Worship Doctrines in Cult of the Lamb
This subset contains all the Doctrines associated with how cultist members are put to work, as well as how obediently they work and if the Lamb allows them to have some “downtime.” Those who are looking to increase their Devotion or the rate at which cultists do things like Farm, Refine Wood, and Harvest Materials, should start here.
Devotion generates +15% faster.
Work speed increases by +15%.
Choice Advice: Players who do a lot of refining may be tempted to choose the Industrious Trait if they see themselves building a mass of structures and decorations, but the Faithful trait will greatly speed up the rate at which players can access Divine Inspirations, by providing them with more Devotion.
Inspire
Intimidate
Unlock a command to Inspire a follower to increase their loyalty (replaces Bless).
Unlock a command to Intimidate a follower to make them work +10% faster for 2 days (replaces Bless).
Choice Advice: Intimidation can work well to give a single follower a small boost to work speed but Inspire is a much better choice overall. It will increase a Follower’s Loyalty by a decent chunk, helping players to level them up faster, while simultaneously reaping the rewards by gaining tablet pieces and Devotion.
Ritual of Enlightenment
Unlocks a Ritual that immediately builds all unbuilt structures.
Unlocks a Ritual to increase Devotion generation at the Shrine by 20% for 3 days.
Choice Advice: Building structures is not particularly difficult, especially if players have a mass of Followers. Once a building is placed, all Followers nearby will rush to it to build it automatically. Players should opt for the boost to Devotion, as it will allow them to unlock Divine Inspirations faster.
Glory Through Toil
Holy Day
Unlocks a Ritual that allows Followers to work for 3 days straight without stopping.
Unlocks a Ritual that allows followers to rest for a day and rewards +80 Faith.
Choice Advice: Although it’s tempting to force mass work for 3 days, especially for those who want to refine a lot of materials, the better choice here is to unlock a Holy Day. Followers will cease working or praying for an entire day, but the +80 Faith trade-off is too good to pass up. This Ritual can outright save a player’s Faith from dipping too low and causing Dissenters.
Law And Order Doctrines in Cult of the Lamb
Lamb will need to invest some Doctrines into Law and Order if they wish to unlock specific things like Ascension, Weddings, and core beliefs. These choices will help to establish what type of cult the player is running and whether they are a benevolent or cruel ruler. Most of these choices are related to loyalty, so those struggling with dissenters should check out some of the choices below.
Murder Follower
Ascend Follower
Unlocks a Murder action that players can use to dispose of Followers at will.
Unlocks a Ritual to Ascend a follower. Followers will reward Loyalty based on the sacrificed Follower’s Loyalty.
Choice Advice: Murdering a Follower can be a quick and easy way to deal with a problem but the aftershock of the cultists seeing the action take place could cause strife. It’s safer, smarter, and better for players to deal with Dissenters as they show up, to opt for the Ascension Ritual which can reward a hefty amount of Loyalty if used on a Loyal Follower.
Ritualistic Fight Pit
Wedding
Perform a Ritual that sees two Followers fight to the death.
Unlock a Ritual to Marry a Follower.
Choice Advice: The Ritualistic Fight Pit doesn’t offer nearly as much value as a Wedding. The Lamb is free to marry as many Followers as they want, although it’s important to note that followers will likely be jealous if the player has too many spouses. The +30 Faith boost can really help in a pinch.
Belief In Original Sin
Belief In Absolution
Reduced loss of Faith if a Follower is jailed that isn’t Dissenting.
Each day that begins with no Followers imprisoned gains +10 Faith.
Choice Advice: Players will be hard-pressed to find a reason to jail a Follower who isn’t actively Dissenting. Those looking to keep the Cult invested should opt to gain Faith so long as Followers aren’t imprisoned. It gives a decent boost to each day, helping to keep Faith levels high.
Loyalty Enforcer
Tax Enforcer
Perform a Ritual to appoint a Loyalty Enforcer who will patrol and raise Follower Loyalty.
Perform a Ritual to appoint a Tax Enforcer who will patrol and collect taxes.
Choice Advice: Loyalty can be gained in numerous ways, through a variety of Rituals, as well as Blessing, Inspiring, and giving gifts to Followers. Because of this, it’s more useful to impose a Tax that helps to fill the player’s pockets with Gold (without consequence).
Possessions Doctrines in Cult of the Lamb
Is the player’s cult a materialistic society or do they try their best to live without money, taxes, and worldly possessions? Here, players will have choices that pertain to what (if anything) their followers will give up to help support the cult and their community. Those who need some extra gold, or those looking to use their gold for bribery and loyalty gain can start with this unfolding tree.
Extort Tithes
Bribe Follower
Unlocks command to collect Gold from a Follower once a day.
Unlocks command to pay a Follower some Gold to increase their Loyalty.
Choice Advice: Because it’s so easy for players to increase Follower loyalty through various mechanics, it’s better to have an option to receive Gold from a Follower. As the game progresses, Gold can become much more valuable, as players unlock new Tarot cards, buy Seeds, or refine the currency into Gold Bars.
Gain Faith when building better sleeping quarters for Followers.
Gain Faith when placing decoration buildings.
Choice Advice: Once players have built sleeping quarters, they’ll be able to repair them once they break down, and once they’ve amassed enough, they won’t need anymore for perspective Followers as they perish and are replaced. Players should take the option to increase Faith with placed decorations as they can drop a decoration with the explicit purpose of gaining Faith, and then destroy it to regain the materials.
Alms for the Poor
Ritual of Enrichment
Unlocks a Ritual that gives Gold to Followers to increase Loyalty and also rewards +10 Faith.
Unlocks a Ritual in which Followers give Gold to the Lamb.
Choice Advice: Although the small Faith and Loyalty boost are nice in conjunction, it’s much better to opt for the Ritual of Enrichment. This will reward the Lamb with a hefty sum of Gold without much consequence.
+5 Faith when a new Building is built.
Gain more Faith when delivering a Sermon.
Choice Advice: This is an easy choice, as players will eventually reach a point in which they aren’t actively constructing many new buildings. Because the Lamb can preach a Sermon each and every day, they’ll gain much more benefit over time from the additional Faith.
Sustenance Doctrines in Cult of the Lamb
Hunger is a much bigger deal than one would think heading into their Cult of the Lamb adventure. Villagers will need to eat pretty constantly, and some situations can arise that greatly affect the hunger of the cult as a whole. In order for players to keep their cultists fed, happy, and alive, they’ll likely want to invest in some of the following Doctrines. These particular commandments will help with food allocation and starvation.
Ritual Fast
Feasting Ritual
Unlock a Ritual that forces Followers to not eat or be hungry for 3 days.
Unlock a Ritual that refills the hunger of all Followers and adds +25 Faith.
Choice Advice: The Feasting Ritual can be great in a pinch, as it will add Faith to the flock and keep them fed but the Fasting Ritual is a much smarter option. If players find themselves lacking food, they can activate the Fast to essentially “freeze time” concerning the hunger meter, allowing them to embark on multiple Crusades to find food or sure up their Farm Plots.
Cannibal
Grass Eater
+5 Faith whenever Followers consume a meal made from Follower meat.
Cultists can consume Grass-based food without losing Faith.
Choice Advice: Although the Cannibal trait can add Faith when feeding cultists, players won’t necessarily have an abundance of Follower Meat lying around, especially as the cult grows and requires more food. Grass is found in every Crusade area, making it an insanely easy resource to farm. This is a very solid trait to unlock in the early game as it can keep a player’s Cult fed without much need for farming.
Ritual of the Harvest
Ritual of the Ocean’s Bounty
Unlock a Ritual to immediately force all seeds to grow into a harvestable state.
Perform a Ritual that doubles the amount of fish caught and makes special fish appear more commonly.
Choice Advice: Once players create an automated farm, they won’t necessarily have much need for an instant crop, as Followers will start filling chests automatically with fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The Ritual of the Ocean’s Bounty can be a fantastic way to catch loads of fish to create better recipes, while simultaneously allowing players to catch rarer fish, some of which are required to complete the Fisherman’s quest.
Belief in Prohibitionism
+20 Faith when a Brainwashing Ritual is performed.
Increases Devotion generation and work speed by +10 percent after a Brainwashing Ritual but has a 50 percent chance of making Followers sick.
Choice Advice: Although the increased Devotion generation and work speed are tempting, a +10 percent boost is not enough to offset the massive 50% risk that Followers will become sick. Players should instead opt for the added Faith after a Brainwashing Ritual.
Sin Doctrines in Cult of the Lamb
There are various Doctrines that can help players generate more Sin inCult of the Lamb. Here is each choice available for every phase:
Rite of Lust
Rite of Wrath
Unlock a Ritual that encourages Followers to take a day off work and increases chances of mating. The leader of the Ritual maxes out the Sin meter.
Unlock a Ritual that encourages Followers to fight and destroy property. The leader of the Ritual maxes out the Sin meter. One cultist receives a negative trait, others may become injured or die, and buildings may be destroyed.
Choice Advice: Even though Rite of Lust means followers won’t be able to work, it doesn’t result in absolute chaos and destruction. Therefore, it is ultimately the best choice here.
Sinner’s Pride
Gluttony of Cannibals
Unlocks a Ritual that allows a Follower to accumulate the sin of other Followers. However, this may overload them and lead to death.
Unlock a Ritual in which a chosen Follower will be devoured by their fellow cultists. Even though this accumulates full Sin, the cult will lose 40 Faith and a member.
Choice Advice: Given the cruelty and side effects in the Gluttony of Cannibals, many gamers will find it best to choose Sinner’s Pride. They can accumulate Sin, keep their Faith intact, and avoid cannibalism.
Violent Extremist
Followers can increase their Sin at the Confession booth.
The Lamb has a chance to receive Sin after defeating a mini-boss.
Choice Advice: Players who haven’t completed the game or plan to challenge the mini-boss once again might want to choose Violent Extremist. On the other hand, Doctrinal Extremist is an easy way to generate a bit of Sin daily. Ultimately, this depends on how far along gamers are into the game and their playstyles.
Hatched cultists will immediately generate one Sin
Hatched cultists are born with a high Loyalty Level
Choice Advice: Here, gamers have the opportunity to unlock a new trait for their cult. If they prefer to be able to level up hatched cultists faster, then Blind Allegiance would be their go-to choice. However, since Sin can be hard to farm inCult of the Lamb, and if gamers plan on hatching lots of new cultists, they might want to consider Born of Sin instead.
